Metempsychosis
by JenniferRSong
Summary: "The Time Lords only resurrected me because they knew I'd be their perfect warrior for a Time War." – The Master, "Sound of Drums" How the Master became Yana. *NOW COMPLETE*
1. Part I Nothing

I originally started this story last April, and it sat on my hard drive only half finished, until recently. The completion of my first official Eleventh Doctor story left me with itching fingers and suddenly this was on my mind. It also helped that for my New Year's movie, I chose the Doctor Who movie from 1996. Unlike some, I actually like the movie and love the music. Robert's Master was…different from Delgado and Ainsley, which I think could have been a result of him taking over a human body, as opposed to his usual fare.

So, taking that into account, I present to you: _Metempsychosis_.

Summary: "The Time Lords only resurrected me because they knew I'd be their perfect warrior for a Time War." – The Master, "Sound of Drums"

Spoilers: The 1996 Movie, _Utopia/Sound of Drums/Last of the Time Lords_, _End of Time_, any references to the Time War.

Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who, nor, by extension, the Master.

Metempsychosis: (1) the moving of the soul, especially the passage of the soul after death from a human or animal to some other human or animal body (2) to pass from one body into another.

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Part I: Nothing

_Darkness_.

It was the first thing he noticed.

_Silence._

Okay, so it was dark and silent.

_Weightless_.

He felt like he was in a zero-G environment. How did he know what that was?

_Alone_.

Well, not for long.

In the distance, what started out as a tiny blue dot began rushing toward him. Or was he rushing toward it? Hard to tell here.

Then…

_Light_.

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The first couple of chapters are short like this. But they will become more informative as time goes on.


	2. Part II Something

Simply because this is so short, I'm going ahead and posting it as well.

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Part II: Something

In the middle of what had once been a great room, a blue portal swirled from the center of a circular device. It was very old, with the surrounding structure square. Ancient symbols dotted the structure, in an equally old and powerful language.

Suddenly, with a great heave, a man, dressed in extravagant robes, was thrust from the device, into the air, then landed on the hard floor nearby. He groaned, but raised his head. Cat-like eyes took in his surroundings.

"Welcome back."

The feminine words, even spoken in sarcasm, nevertheless caught his attention.

With a grunt, he collapsed.

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I'll post the next chapter soon.


	3. Part III Everything

This chapter brings the first two together and completes the first half's arc.

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Part III: Everything

When he came back round, he thought he might have been back in the Eye of Harmony. He blinked again. No, just floating in some kind of green goo. Further examination revealed he had been stripped of the fancy robes he had been wearing. Except for two small discs monitoring his heartsbeat and a breathing mask over his nose and mouth, he was completely naked.

Strangely, it didn't bother him. Might have been the goo too.

Hehe. Goo too. Man, this stuff felt good.

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He was pulled out about an hour later, dressed in a basic white robe, then taken, in handcuffs, to a nearby room. He blinked.

"Well, I am flattered," he finally said, his voice stiff, though, considering he had not used it in a while, that was to be expected. "You have the whole council present."

Indeed, while they looked like they needed a desperate night's rest, and perhaps a strong cup of tea, all of the council members were there. Only a single spot was empty, that of the Lord President. Odd, that.

"I shall put this as bluntly as possible."

It was the same woman from earlier. Her lips were pursed and her back stiff, as though his presence alone desecrated the area.

"We are in a war. And we are losing."

He smiled. "A war, eh? No wonder, bunch of pathetic louts like you, never learned how to fight properly, always dependent on those transduction barriers."

She bristled. "Your humor isn't appreciated. Not when it's the Daleks we are fighting."

The smile faded. Daleks. Well, wasn't _that_ just nice.

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I like to think that the same woman speaking is the one that spoke against Rassilon in the _End of Time_. Yeah, the same one he dissolved. You can also think that the table is the very same one used in _End of Time_. I did. Where's Rassilon himself? Not in the picture yet. He was only resurrected as a Very Last Resort. Desperation and all that. And the tank? Reminiscent of the bacta tanks from _Star Wars_.

Thanks to the one reviewer thus far. Reviews are cool.


	4. Part IV The Beginning

A good point about Romana was brought up. I hadn't quite forgotten her, but she is blatantly missing. Perhaps left out of the decision because they knew she'd object? Or still in E-space?

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Part IV: The Beginning

He shifted, the handcuffs clinking loudly.

"And just what will you give me in exchange for fighting?"

Several of the council members looked askance at each other, then she said, "A new set of regenerations, for starters."

His eyebrows rose. "Quite generous."

She huffed. "The body you currently possess was human. Your possession rendered it dying; we changed it to more suit Time Lord biology."

He clicked his tongue. "Impressive." He craned his neck. "And where, pray tell, is the Lord President? Don't tell me you actually think the Doctor will show his face. Any of them."

"The Doctor was recalled to Gallifrey some time ago," she said. "He formerly renounced his Presidentship upon arrival. Currently, he is leading a team on Arcadia, a dozen of our best Time Lords."

_Now _that_ was a surprise_, he thought.

"It is thought that Davros himself is there. The Doctor believes that if he can find Davros, and take him as a prisoner, that the Daleks will be willing to negotiate for his return."

"What's Arcadia in the grand scheme of things?"

"Arcadia was colonized by humans in the 25th century. If the Daleks are able to conquer this world, that settlement might never come to pass."

"Humans. Always his favorite species."

She inclined her head. "Perhaps, but if Arcadia falls, it will cause the tide to turn in their favor."

"So, what, you expect me to go help him?"

"No, we expect you to lead an army against the Dalek Emperor on the Cruciform. If we can take both Davros and the Emperor out, we may be able to win."

He frowned, pondering his next move.

"Your talent for destruction would be useful should the Dalek Emperor gain full control. They are presently travelling to the Cruciform. We could meet them in three days' time."

"Why not simply send an army there _before_ they get there?"

Another Time Lord spoke. "We tried that, but it seems that it is Fixed that the two armies will collide then and there."

"Convenient."

"So, make your choice," she said. "Refuse, and you are executed. Accept, and you will live."

He grinned. "Well, isn't the choice obvious?"

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Reviews are nice. Constructive criticism appreciated.


	5. Part V The Middle

As we all know, we don't know when exactly Eight regenerated into Nine, but it is theorized that it probably either happened at Arcadia or the Moment. If there's a new Doctor Who movie to be made, I really hope it covers the Time War and we are given the chance to see that regeneration.

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Part V: The Middle

He shifted in his new uniform as those under his command warily watched him. It had been two days since he had accepted the Council's offer. In those two days, Arcadia had fallen, three-quarters of the Time Lord team had died, the rest regenerated. The Doctor was still hovering, his wounds not bad enough to warrant regeneration, but had burned severely enough to leave scarring. He would be out of commission for quite some time.

The Daleks had set a nice little trap, which, he had to admit, he really should have thought up himself. Threaten a planet of humans, dangle the bait, plant explosives at the most likely landing areas, and wait for the Doctor to show his face.

He was quite jealous, actually.

"Sir, we're approaching the temporal coordinates," spoke one of the pilots of their TARDIS. There were ten of the ships, each containing about 50 soldiers. About a quarter were Time Lords; the rest Gallifreyan soldiers. Each Time Lord would take their allotted soldiers and use multiple points of attack in an attempt to keep the Daleks at bay. 500 of them versus 5,000 Daleks. He, on the other hand, would lead a smaller team to the very heart of the Cruciform, and set the explosives.

"Land each TARDIS at the best camouflaged area," he ordered. "Begin troop dispersal."

Unlike the Doctor's, or his own, TARDIS, these ships were newer, less temperamental, and, most importantly, being piloted by a crew of six. Each TARDIS was able to land silently and blend in perfectly with working chameleon circuits. He exited his own to find himself looking at a bulkhead. Making a note of its location, he gave orders to each team and began making his way to the central room.

At least, that's how it looked to his team members. In reality, he was noting every step, and every turn.

About halfway there, the speakers crackled to life.

"_TIME LORDS, YOU WILL NOT SUCCEED_," they boomed. "_I AM THE DALEK EMPEROR AND I HAVE TAKEN CONTROL OF THE CRUCIFORM. RESIST AND YOUR EXTERMINATION WILL BE SLOW AND PAINFUL._"

"Well, that's my cue," he muttered. He threw the bag of explosives to the nearest Time Lord and dashed back towards the TARDIS. So great was his "team's" surprise, that by the time they caught up, it had already dematerialized.

The Cruciform was now fully controlled by the Daleks.

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He dashed around the console. There was only one way he could avoid being tracked down by the Time Lords for desertion. If they found him, they would execute him.

He brought down the Chameleon Arch and set it for human. At the same time, he set the machine to forcibly regenerate himself into the body he had chosen.

If the Time Lords wanted to find him, they'd be hard pressed looking for him as a human child at the end of the universe. Eight years old, perfect, the same age as when he'd looked into the Untempered Schism.

He fixed the fob watch into position. With any luck, he would grow up, bide his time, and force himself to open the watch in a few decades' time.

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Well, we kinda know how that plan turned out, don't we? Last chapter will be posted tomorrow.


	6. Part VI The End

Better late than never, eh? This is the final part of the second half's trilogy. From this point on is mostly conjecture, with a few standing facts thrown in. Just to let you know.

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Part VI: The End

"Oi, c'mere!"

The water was loud, was his first memory. The second was the sound of shouting. The third was that he was naked, save for something cool resting on his chest.

He opened his eyes to find that he was on a beach. Above him, the sky was silver, its waves reflected on the water below. Rushing towards him were two people, a man and a woman, military by the look of their uniforms. The man took a blanket from his bag and wrapped it around the shivering child.

"What's your name?" the other asked gently, as she took a bottle of water from her bag and handed it to the boy.

"My – my name?" he asked. "I – I don't have a name."

Inside his head, a dull thumping persisted. It was barely noticeable, but it was there.

They ran back toward their group. Their commanding officer frowned at the sight of the boy.

"We don't need another mouth to feed," he grunted.

"What were we supposed to do, sir?" The woman argued. "Leave him out there? The storm only just passed!"

He curled up as close as he could to the male officer holding him. Unconsciously, he protected the thing dangling from his neck.

"That's enough, Lieutenant Yana!" he barked. Then his expression softened a bit, and he sighed. "He'll be your responsibility, then."

She nodded crisply and turned to her fellow officer, who was still holding the child.

"Hills, we need to get him some clothing," she murmured. "Do you know of any small officers in your battalion that might donate an extra set?"

"I think Jennings has an extra pair of pants he can have," the man said. For such a large man, his voice was quiet and gentle. "And Franks grew out of his shirt."

"Right then," she said. "You two go get the clothing, I'll go rustle us up three rations."

Twenty minutes later, the three were huddled under the poor excuse for a tent that served as a dining area for their twenty person unit. Well, now twenty-one.

He looked around at the miserable people surrounding him as he ate his ration packet.

"What are you fighting for?" he asked quietly.

Yana looked at him, chewing her ration pack silently. "It's the usual story. One side doesn't like the other and to protect what you still have, you have to take up arms." She gently scooped up the crumbs and ate them too. "Not as much fighting nowadays, both sides are almost completely burnt out. You arrived just after the last nasty skirmish. With any luck, it'll be the last and I can go home. I've heard rumors someone might have found another clue to Utopia. Ought to be interesting, digging into that instead of wielding a gun."

His ears perked up. "What's Utopia?"

"Don't be putting stories in the kid's head," said another officer. He was different, not human for starters, with a flat nose, dull purple eyes and extremely pale skin. When he blinked, it was sideways.

Yana waved a hand. "The whole idea's been around for thousands of years, Krostan, who's to say it is or isn't true?"

Krostan snorted. "Whatever."

An explosion outside ended whatever else might have been said. With a "stay put!" thrown over her shoulder, Yana, Krostan and the others grabbed their guns and ran out to fight. He took refuge under the table and closed his eyes. Inside his head, the drumming pounded in rhyme with the sounds of shouting and gunfire.

When he was discovered an hour later, still huddled in the same position, by a different team from a related unit, he asked about the ones who had rescued him.

One shook his head. "All gone, kid. They fought and died and lost."

Another asked him, "What's your name, son?"

He sucked in a breath, exhaled and said, "Yana. My name is Yana."

_END_

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I hope you had as much fun reading this as I did writing it. An additional thanks to those who reviewed.

~Jennifer R. Song


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